A new bill introduced by Sen. Todd Kaminsky would require any animal shelter or rescue organization to disclose whether a dog has bitten someone or broken a person's skin.
The legislation comes on the heels of a News 12 investigative story that brought forth allegations that the North Shore Animal League in Port Washington didn't disclose biting histories of some dogs that were adopted.
As News 12 reported, former workers at North Shore Animal League say the shelter hid the bite history of some dogs, and they said those dogs later went on to attack their owners or other people in the home.
The North Shore Animal League issued a statement saying, "We are in support of this bill. Just like us most animal shelters and rescue groups disclose this information already."
A second bill is also being proposed by Sen. Monica Martinez. This one requires rescue groups to disclose behavior history as well, but it also sets guidelines for how dogs and cats should be cared for by shelters.
Gary Rogers, of the Nassau SPCA, says he'll be working to make sure the bills become laws. Rogers says because of the News 12 report, the bills have a good chance of passing.
The measure would apply to dogs that are 4 months old and up. If passed, violators could receive fines of as much as $1,000 per offense.